The Basement Tapes were first released as a bootleg, “The Great White Wonder,” on Rubber Dubber Records in 1969. In 2001, Rolling Stone listed the various releases of the tapes as one of the 10 best Bob Dylan bootlegs, but author Andy Greene wrote that sources had told him there were 10 discs worth of material. “Not only do you get to hear Dylan and the Band going on a journey through the history of American music on covers ranging from Hank Williams' 'You Win Again' to Johnny Cash’s 'Folsom Prison Blues,' but you get to hear Dylan at his most relaxed and silly as he cracks himself up singing an impromptu song fans have labeled 'See You Later, Allen Ginsberg,' he wrote.

Columbia first released 16 songs from the tapes legitimately in 1975 as “The Basement Tapes.” It went Top 10 in the U.S. and UK and received much critical praise. But fans knew that the release wasn't even close to the entire output of music made during the sessions. According to Columbia/Legacy, “The Basement Tapes Complete” will feature “every salvageable recording from the tapes, including recently discovered early gems recorded in the 'Red Room' of Dylan's home in upstate New York.”

According to the label, Garth Hudson of the Band worked with Canadian music archivist and producer Jan Haust to restore the deteriorating tapes to pristine sound. The set features “The Basement Tapes Complete” as intact as possible, the label says, with the sound as close to the way they were originally recorded and sounded back in the summer of 1967, and also mostly in chronological order.

BOB DYLAN - THE BASEMENT TAPES COMPLETE: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 11

(all songs written by Bob Dylan unless otherwise noted)

CD 1

1. Edge of the Ocean

2. My Bucket's Got a Hole in It (written by Clarence Williams)

3. Roll on Train

4. Mr. Blue (written by Dewayne Blackwell)

5. Belshazzar (written by Johnny Cash)

6. I Forgot to Remember to Forget (written by Charlie A Feathers and Stanley A Kesler)

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Steve Marinucci loves music of the '50s, '60s and '70s and has written about it professionally for major newspapers. He particularly loves Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Beatles, Sun Records, the '60s British Invasion and '60s girl groups.